Nature as garden designer

It's been a while since we were down in Leitrim - for many reasons beyond our control. I'll confess that it's been a bit 'out of sight, out of mind'. As I haven't been able to be there, I've left nature in charge of garden design this year - and she's been VERY busy!

We took the poly tunnel down at the end of March and apart from one trip in the end of April (in which Sam had the accident with his finger) we didn't make it down until late August.

The first pictures below are of the blank canvas that we left nature with once we'd taken the tunnel down.

It's quite bare, with uncovered paths between the beds.

Here you can see where the trenches were.

Well, upon our return ... this is what we saw ...

Nature has been busy indeed.

Even though it may be a bit wilder than I would have chosen, some of it does look really pretty - the sunflowers are all self seeded - everything is.

The birds are really loving it (especially with no cats around). I love the combinations nature has made e.g. red orach, sunflowers and nasturtiums.

The sunflowers are really very cheerful and welcoming (and helped me face the inevitable job of weeding and clearing paths).

The kale nero, planted last September has survived and I collected some seed.

There was even a Russian Mammoth Sunflower, which had bent over to survive the winds (last year they reached to the top of the tunnel).

Here's more sunflowers - as I like them so much - and the natural variations that are springing up. I only planted Russian Mammoth and Red Velvet last year and these seem to be a mix of both.

My calendula and Melissa have survived well.

Here I am with a few weeds .. at the end I'll show you just how many!

A potted blueberry bravely gave us a few berries.

There were even two mystery giant swedes (and tomatoes!)

The mint has been having great fun - spreading like wildfire - under natures watchful eye.

The red orach has seeded well - I just LOVE the colour of it, so vibrant.

There was masses of seed from the Pentland Kale - and I collected a fair amount.

Some, touching the ground, had even started sprouting in their pods!

Here is a delight - some quinoa - ripening very well too.

Here I've done some clearing .. and Sally is helping.

More clearing.

Even more clearing .. I can see gravel again now.

Here's the side of the 'tunnel bed' reclaimed.

While I was busy weeding, next door, they were bailing the grass - and a great job they made of it too.

Unfortunately that wasn't an option for us up top, where natures scheme was a bit too wild for the likings of most people - so Sam had to get strimming.

We had a lovely red shy that evening.

But not before Sam had done more strimming ..

..and a but more strimming...

and made sure the frogs DIDN'T get strimmed.

So, here with are with a neater frontage again

and a serious pile of weedy stuff - all barrowed by yours truly.

We still don't know when the planning permission will come through, so have no idea when we can resume building. I must admit to being disappointed in losing the whole summer and facing the dropping temperatures and longer nights now. It can all seem a long way off - us being in our lovely warm home, but I know we will get there in the end - and it will be fantastic when we do.

In the meantime, we'll keep a better eye on the garden - and myself and nature may return to a joint gardening effort from now on.

Container gardening

We have blue skies again here in Co. Down, after a couple of days of rain, which was very good for the plants.

Anyway, I thought it was time that I shared my cobbled together attempt at container gardening this summer.

It was a bit of a mish mash, as I'd planned to garden on site in Leitrim, but, that wasn't to be, so luckily, I put together a few containers so that I wouldn't miss my gardening and home grown veg fix - whatever the circumstances!

My aunt's fantastic barn with the glass roof (see above picture) has become home to lots of crops this summer and works great as a greenhouse .. but I'm trying not to take it over too much.

The picture below shows the half of the barn that I've been using. In the foreground are peppers - sweet and chilli, behind that is the sweetcorn, to the sides are tomatoes and right at the back are some cucumberesque vines, a cucumber and a late bloomer of a melon .. and some peanuts.

Here to the side are some squashes (do I ever learn??) - both are courgettes in this picture (do courgettes officiallly count as squashes? .. they do to me) and another tomato.

One of the courgettes has good flowers and already a growing fruit (you can see it in the middle of the picture if you look carefully).

I tried cucumber, in too small a pot really, and was pleasantly surprised that I already have a lovely fruit forming and couple more looking promising.

Here are the sweetcorn. They are the riskiest of all. I'm not sure if they are meant to do well in pots, but as I had seed ready I thought I'd try. I half thought of trying them outside, but it gets windy up here and I thought they would be stressed. Anyway, the barn is warmer.

They are very close together, so it will be interesting to see if they do ok.

You can already see the stalks forming that will have the tassels and cobs, so I might be in with a chance - as long as I keep them well watered etc. I just can't pass up the chance of super fresh sweetcorn, there's nothing quite like it.

I have a few different tomatoes. This one is a purple ukrainan plum variety, you can see it starting to elongate already.

My other type are cherry tomatoes I think. The seeds are from plants that I grew in this barn in 2008, so I'm hoping they will do well. They already have good fruits forming.

I also tried some peppers this year and they are flowering also. I think this one is 'Nigel's Outdoor Pepper' from Real Seeds. I didn't risk him outdoors!

This is Sweet Chocolate Sweet Bell Pepper, as from Real Seeds. I get lots of my seeds from them.

Here we have hot purple pepper, the foliage is quite dark on the plants and the flowers have a lovely purple hue.

I also started a couple of peanuts - in big pots this time - to see what happens.

Well, that all that's in the barn. Of course, I did do a few things outside as well.

We have some carrots (that I forgot to photograph) and some celery that is nearly ready.

I put a few flowers in containers to brighten the place up. They got a bit slugged, but there are some survivors. I think this is a scabious - from a mixed annual packet.

I'm very excited about the broad beans. The pods must be nearly full size by now. (I can be caught hovering nearby with a pan of boiling water, desperate to get shelling and eating them)

The ducks are enjoying their pond lots - here they are 'poolside'. As for the chickens, Bennie is doing well but unfortunately Madeline passed away, soon after my last post. So, Bennie is our only chicken right now. The ducks keep her company so she's not too lonely, I hope. We'll figure out what to do soon enough. I don't really want to get any more hens until we are back down in Leitrim. We shall see.

I love this kale, with it's pink stems and veins. It's really tasty too.

Further into the garden - Elvie suns himself near the teepee (his favourite spot when he's not on my knee).

I took the risk of putting a couple of squashes at the base of the teepee, to see if they would grow up well through it. (It also means they aren't hogging valuable barn space and it's ok if they get thuggush - as squashes ofthen do).

On the right is a blue banana squash (the trick with them is to cook them whole, as the skin is hard to cut into) and on the left we have a summer yellow patty pan squash.

Here's a close up of a dianthis (carnation) - aren't flowers amazing natural works of art?

We also have some fruit in the garden - not in pots. Here are some of the raspberries we brough over in 2007.

Here are some of our lovely apples, also brought over in 2007. Can't quite remember wnat variety they are .. some sort of Russett maybe .. but I do remember that thy're very tasty.

Here are some of my aunt's currants - black and white. They've been here for years, never fertilized or tended to and yet they come back strongly year after year.

I couldn't have a summer without a calendula somewhere (in a pot this year). I never have the heart to eat them, they're just too pretty.

I have no such hesitation with the parsley though. This is a french curly parsley ..

and this one is an italian giant flat leaved variety.

Well, thats about it for now.

I may not have a polytunnel, or a dedicated garden this year, but it doesn't matter. There is always room for a pot or two!

I also have some salad leaves and new potatoes .. and peas .. and beans .. that I forgot to photograph.

I'll let you know how well everything crops.

X Ferris